Do You Know the Many Advantages of Pre-Paying a Funeral?

Making funeral arrangements is never an easy thing to do.

When a loved one passes away without leaving behind any instructions, it can make planning their funeral even more challenging for surviving family members. Preplanning your funeral can spare your grieving loved ones from guessing what you would have wanted, and pre-paying relieves them from the financial burden.

Below are some of the many advantages of pre-planned and pre-paid funerals to consider.

Preplanning your funeral is a beautiful gift for your loved ones.

We all want to send off our loved ones in a manner that is respectful of their personal, cultural, and spiritual preferences. Yet, there are details and other decisions these generalities can’t always cover. We may also be guided by emotions rather than rational factors when planning a funeral. Preplanning your own funeral can help your loved ones avoid that burden when they are bereaved.

You get to arrange your ideal funeral service.

When you preplan your funeral, you have the opportunity to sit down with the funeral director to create a customized plan for your future funeral services and all of the details involved. You will get specific about the funeral home services that you want, including whether you prefer burial or cremation, the type of casket or urn that will be used, the style of transportation for the coffin and/or family members, flowers, and anything else that you might need or require. Once you make your decisions, the funeral director will work up a price for your policy based on all of the goods and services that you selected so that you have an understanding of the total costs.

Your family will gain peace of mind.

When you take the time to sit down with a funeral director to shore up the details of your funeral prior to death, your loved ones are comforted in knowing that they are following a plan that you created. Preplanning your own funeral eliminates the guesswork so that your friends and family can focus on comfort and healing in their time of loss. This can also minimize disagreement among family members who may have differing views about what you would have wanted.

Pre-payment can relieve financial concerns for those left behind.

At Vaughn Greene Funeral Services, you have the option of preplanning without pre-paying for your funeral. However, there are advantages to taking your preplan a step further by pre-paying for your funeral expenses. Typically, you will have the option between a guaranteed or non-guaranteed plan. With a guaranteed plan, the price of the exact goods and services that you select are locked in. There will be no financial surprises for family members in regards to your funeral. With a non-guaranteed plan, you don’t have this protection. You pay for the price of the goods and services at the time that you create the plan, but your family will be responsible for covering any price increases that have occurred. You will then sign a contract and work with the funeral home or a contract provider to arrange for payment. Payment can be made in a single lump sum or in installments to reduce the burden.

Funeral insurance is also an option.

If you wish to have your funeral expenses covered or mostly covered, another option is funeral insurance, also called a final expense funeral policy. With this type of life insurance, you assign a beneficiary to receive the death benefit. Those funds can then be used to cover your funeral costs and more. If you assign a specific funeral home to receive the death benefit, that facility will use the funds to pay for the funeral costs.

Preplanning your funeral assures your loved ones that they are laying you to rest according to your wishes. Prepaying for these goods and services can prevent your family from taking on large financial costs. If you would like to discuss either or both options, please reach out to one of our caring professionals.

About Vaughn Greene Funeral Services: For more than 20 years, Vaughn Greene Funeral Services has been providing a ministry of care to Baltimore’s African American community. As a leading local, minority- and family-owned provider, we promise to provide our highest level of service and respect to families who entrust us to honor their loved ones. For more information, please call us at 410.655.0015 or visit us online at https://vaughncgreene.com/.